Fashion Monday with JJ Lee

Looking for little things that are luxurious but won't bankrupt the average shopper. Pocket luxury is about buying the best of ordinary things to create pockets of luxury in your life. Be it the best hand-made toothbrush in the world or a silver pen to write the shopping list. I visited Louis Vuitton (very nice people there, no joke) on Burrard in Vancouver, Tiffany & Co (they were hopping, what recession?), also on Burrard, and Holt Renfrew (with the nicest guide to the luxury department store) on Granville.

The secret to a perfect holiday trip home means focusing on what really matters. Family, friends, peace, love and happiness are certainly important, but when it comes to menswear, knowing what to pack and what to wear can also make a man joyful and triumphant. For Club Monaco’s menswear designer Timothy Farah in New York, the go-to travel item is “the perfect blazer.” He adds, “It can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion” Club Monaco offers the Wright blazer and the Channing Tuxedo blazer, both for $349 (top, with Fair Isle sweater and bowtie). The jackets are “tailored and modern.” For the finishing touch, Farah says, has to be “a handkerchief in the breast pocket.” Jeffery Spivock, the public relations senior manager for the Gap in Toronto, would wear a Banana Republic velvet blazer on the plane to avoid crushing it, $310 (bottom). He says it “looks as good with a pair of destructed jeans ($160) as it does dressed up for holiday drinks.” If the itineary is elaborate and ta...

JJ in the Vancouver Sun : VANCOUVER — To rent or to buy is not the question. What really matters when it comes to wearing black tie is looking like you belong in a tuxedo. Admittedly, all men can't be James Bond or Barack Obama, but it is possible to achieve some true panache, thereby avoiding any associations with Batman's flightless adversary, the Penguin (who technically wore a tailcoat and therefore was dressed in white tie), or high school graduation. Guy Voglino, New York-based divisional merchandise manager for Brooks Brothers, offered the following advice.... (read the rest in the Vancouver Sun)

If you've been wondering where I've been, well, I've been in merry olde England. Part of my research for my book, I had a chance to go to the backrooms and basements of Savile Row. Here are a few photographs of England's greatest tailors (and therefore the world!). Paul at Henry Poole & Company Henry Poole & Company The shirt cutting bench at Dege & Skinner (say "Deej", if you're wondering) Henry Poole & Company In the basement livery workshop at Henry Poole & Company.

I know NOTHING about jewelry. The problem is Vancouver is a hotbed of local design. And hitherto, I've been silent on the subject. Until now. Today, On The Coast, I spokewith host Stephen Quinn about what consumers should know about quality before spending money on jewelry this holiday season. To help me along, I visited with designer Justine Brooks . I think her work is fantastic and she really exploits the seaside/boreal rainforest vibe of Vancouver. If you like Justine's work, you can find it at Chachkas on South Granville in Vancouver.

If you need MORE than a quick drop-off and instant, most likely dubious, shoe repairs, you need to know Mr. Ho, my shoe guy for the last ten years. The news: he is still in business. You see, he used to be next to the Vancouver diner, Cafe S'il Vous Plait (remember smoking there and drinking bottomless coffees?), but the rent went up and left Mr. Ho looking for new digs. If you go there now, you'll find an empty shop and no sign as to where he went (shameful landlord). Well, he has found a new cobbling corner - a few blocks east at 292 Robson Street near Hamilton, across the street from the CBC and TV Towers. He played a big part in my shoe education. Church's, John Lobb, Edward Green, Dack's Made in England. He told me, if you find them, buy them. And I did. Amassing quite a fine collection of cap-toes and winged brogues. More importantly, Mr. Ho takes care of my shoes and he does it with a love of what he does. Three decades and still marching on. Congrats on the n...

I think a father should teach his son how to wear a suit. It’s the outfit a man will wear to nearly every major rite of passage in his life, right to the bitter end. What do you think you'll wear when you’re dead? Your preferences won’t matter because there’s a good chance your survivors will put you in a suit. Graduation, marriage, job interview. Got caught embezzling? You were probably wearing a suit when you allegedly committed the crime and you’ll wear one when you stand trial. Okay, let’s say you put in your will you don’t want to wear a matching top and bottom the day you are sent of to the hereafter – what do you think your memorializers will don? Ashes and rags? And let’s say you stipulate you don’t want people to wear a suit at your funeral service, well, what kind of jerk are you, any way? Here’s a rule in life, never deny people the chance to dress up. It shows a meaness of spirit. Besides, if the men dress up, so do the women. Even at a funeral, women look hot in black....

A great little teaser. I can't wait to visit it later this month.

Sometimes, Fashion Monday is just a day or two ahead of even GQ.com 's email newsletter, even if it's recycled from 2002.

Team Canada's Cowichan sweaters WILL be a hit. But as I mentioned in my look at the collection, I cautiously used the term "Cowichan-styled" to describe the garment. I wrote: "However, I couldn't confirm if the suppliers are Cowichan knitters. So, it's more accurate to describe it as a Cowichan-styled sweater." And it's a good thing. Cowichan Knitters are not happy with the cultural appropriation of the form. Read about it in a local Cowichan paper here . Thanks to blog reader, Con, for the link.

The nip is in the air and male readers may be wondering how to keep off the chill (ok, it's not so bad in Vancouver). Easy, right? Not so. There are many styles of overcoats and raincoats. Frequently, retailers (both online and bricks and mortar), journalists and bloggers use the wrong terms. It's a big deal because different style coats suit different body types. If people used the correct nomenclature, it would make life googling and net shopping far better. For those who agree, here is a guide: Mackintosh (left) is a raincoat. It is also a famous English brand . Like John Lennon wrote, "The man in the Mack..." The silhouette is tubular and currently cut tight and short. It is a closed throated coat. The button (except for the top one) are hidden. The lines are simple with minimal detailing. If they have flap or patch pockets, they are an abomination. Slash side pockets, please. It suits most body types. However, short, thick torso men should avoid mid-thigh or hig...

GQ did a very smart thing this week when they featured this season's pea coats modeled by, very clever, Navy personnel. My take on coats to keep you warm is coming up soon!

Natalie Purschwitz 0f makeshiftproject.blogspot.com is making all her own clothes, accessories and shoes for a year. She will wear nothing else. Here is her amazing boot, version 2. Keep at it, Natalie!

He's sharp looking. Got money to burn and knows his bow ties. It's the 8 1/2 year old, mini-dandy Arlo Weiner , courtesy of GQ.

From the UBC Alumi event I hosted with Tetsuro Shigematsu at Banana Republic. Also CBC producer and sometime playwright, filmmaker and character actor Charlie Cho. Very fun. Plus the whole affair inspired the topic of my column for On The Coast - Dressing the Breast: How to deck out a heavy, yet beautiful, topside. I'll be on air on 88.1 FM Vancouver at 5:49 PM -- Fashion Monday.

There was a time, way back in it's history, when the Converse Company (aka Boston Rubber Shoe Company) was all about finding ways of putting rubber underneath men's feet. They weren't just about racquet sport shoes (Jack Purcell) or basketball (Chuck Taylor). Instead, they made hunting boots. And they are again - in a fashion forward kind of way. This season they've release a set of rubber soled, leather upper boots that are right on trend with the back to roots among the masculine. In black or brown, they sell for around $140. Try Gravity Pope in Vancouver to find them.

Yesterday, I was organising the clothes for a UBC Alumni event at Banana Republic on Robson and Thurlow. I believe I was there for five hours. Nevertheless, it was fun. The concept is to speak to young alumni about dressing at the next level (not dressing for a job interview) but how to dress for the workplace and advancement. Actor, writer, trouble-maker and heart-breaker Tetsuro Shigematsu will be my partner on stage and the incomparable social columnist Fred Lee will be there as well. No John Molloy here - "Dress For Success" - that way of thinking kind of makes me gag. More importantly we look at how to dress grown-up with out dressing old. Now, the important stuff...what will I be wearing? So glad you asked. I will be sporting a gray flannel pencil stripe suit with a notch collar. And, because I like taking risks, I'm pairing it with a red (dominant) and blue micro plaid shirt. Both items will be from BR's Heritage Collection . It says Heritage - but the cut is ...

One woman, one year, one promise . To wearing clothing, shoes and accessories made exclusively by her own hand. I mean, shoes!

Yes. MAKESHIFT is a project by designer Natalie Purschwitz. Seven weeks ago, she started a year long project to wear clothes, shoes and accessories made by her exclusively. Natalie has a website documenting the effort at makeshiftproject.blogspot.com And though she is only two months in, it's been quite a journey so far for the Makeshifter. Today, I met Natalie at the Makeshift showroom at 8 East Cordorva in Vancouver. It displays SOME of the clothes she has worn or clothes based on clothes she has worn.... We had a little conversation about the MAKESHIFT journey so far. And my first question to Natalie was, what did she wear today: The project is in part to draw attention to her work - but I wouldn't say it's a publicity stunt. If it is, it's one that has life-changing ideas. People in France and Italy are tracking her work. And now you can too. Plus if you love what you see on MAKESHIFT - she's offering clothes based on her adventures through her Super! Surprise! ...

I just bought a tailor's form. It's a padded male torso and neck that sits on a chrome stand. The jacket is now draped over it. The dummy will allow me to pin and baste stitch possible alterations. Think of it as sketch drawing on the suit with needle and thread. The rig is very light and I find I move it around from the centre of the living room to near the bookcase to a corner in the bedroom depending on my need for light or to be closer to the clock radio or to protect it from kitchen smells while I'm cooking. Sometimes in the middle of a chore or writing, I'll forget I have "him" or where I've put "him" and out of the corner of my eye I'll see my father for just a blink.

Please go here .

Call it, "hoser chic." It came with a big a splash. The Hudson's Bay Company revealed its Team Canada clothes. Canada's Olympians will be wearning retro black, grey, red and white gear at next year's Winter games. And with some caveats, I have to say this is a pretty fine collection. I love it because of what it does for an iconic retailer. I've said it before and I'll say it again: the Hudson's Bay Company has the best brand in Canada when it comes to evoking Canadiana. It has the history and heritage. Or, rather, it should. Yes, over the years, HBC has forgotten this. Adopting the generic (non-Canadian specific) abbreviation was symptomatic of the tendency to leave the past behind. It was deplorable. But with their recent Olympic campaign, on TV and through their Olympic apparel, they are putting the Hudson's and the Canada back in The Bay. So, this is a major move on the part of the retailer to get its identity back. For the longest time, Roots ...

Today, I hope to look at Canada's Winter 2010 look. But while you're waiting, check out my Vancouver by Design (my old blog) story from the last Olympics . Or simply read below: Fashion Olympics - forget medal counts, who are the best dressed? Canada goes for red, gold and white chinoiserie - go to cbc.ca for more pics. Gold, silver and bronze are the only colours that matter in the Olympics unless you're me. Today, I joined On The Coast's host, Stephen Quinn, in studio to talk about Olympic fashion and about which country gets the high score when it comes to high style. Listen . If you want a fuller analysis, read on. Canada has yet to win a medal in Beijing but who cares? A opening ceremony fashion Q & A with JJ Lee... Q. You've decided to focus on the Opening Ceremonies. What are you looking for when it comes to judging a county's fashion acumen during the parade of nations? It's not easy to compare what the countries are wearing -- though I think it...

For a decent answer, check out Victoria Potter's post about BCFW at demi COUTURE . In this matter, VP captures some of what has gone out recently. Addressing The Continuing Failure Of Vancouver’s Fashion Weeks Sunday October 04th 2009, 8:45 pm Filed under: 2009 , BC Fashion Week There are three massive issues occurring with BC and Vancouver Fashion weeks; the model talent is sub par, clothing design is poor and there is a division between the organizational committees that put forth both productions. The basics are simple; designers should be paying qualified and talented individuals to model their final vision and if they cannot afford to pay the models then they shouldn’t be paying the registration fees to reserve runway time. It’s as the old saying goes - you get what you pay for, and clearly the free ‘talent’ isn’t working. There are legitimate reasons why Vancouver and BC Fashion Weeks aren’t taken seriously. The team running the show didn’t even instill enough confidence in ...

(photo credit: davidwilkesbespoke.com/Jonathan Cruz) David Wilkes, bespoke tailor, who will be featured in my fall menswear piece for the Vancouver Sun, not only got the big thumbs up from Douglas Coupland, now the writer is praising Wilkes at GQ UK ! The word: Your website contains an index of "Couplandisms," one of which asserts that "Once you establish a look, and once everybody recognises that look as your look, you never have to think about fashion again." What's your look? Headwise, I always kind of knew that everyone goes grey in our family very early—and I was like, it works for me. I started growing my beard and it changes the shape of your skull and your face, and I started seeing my mother's side of the family in myself for the first time. I always get jealous of Prince William because he looks so much like his mom, so that's why I keep this [beard] but it makes me look so old fashioned—I look like an Antarctic explorer or an old Civil War pho...

If you can spend your cash on designer ready-made suits, ask yourself, “Why?” Off-the-racks, no matter how expensive, are made to accommodate differently shaped men. That can mean extra fabric adding unneccesary bulk to your frame. David Wilkes of David Wilkes Bespoke in Gastown will cut out the fat by personally hand making a suit for you. On the money for value side, his suits should literally last a lifetime. On the style side, you receive unique fabric, a perfect fit, and understated luxury. Douglas Coupland has become a fan of Wilkes and agreed to an e-mail interview about his recent plunge into bespoke clothing. FASHION MONDAY:Where are you and from what are you receiving and transmitting this reply? Scotland. MacBook Pro 17". What made you turn to a bespoke tailor like David Wilkes? I hate clothes shopping and off-the-rack is so insanely boring. There had to be a better way. What are your thoughts about people turning to fitted and tailored suits/clothing this season? D...

Two of the more intriguing fashion trends this fall. I discuss with the lovely, the beautiful and deftly clever designer Allison Smith of Allison Wonderland how-to pointers. We're talking about asymmetrical dresses and You Can't Touch This Hammer pants on Fashion Monday. And let's be clear here: Allison Smith doesn't offer harem pants in her line, she did wear denim, low-crotch jeans this spring. More on her clothes next week when I spend a bit more time at Dream , the boutique!

You can hear me live on line, On The Coast at CBC.ca's live stream every Monday at 4:49 PM Pacific. Plus while you're waiting for me to go on air, listen to this mash up:

Why will it be Hammer Time On The Coast ? Well, JJ Lee, this show's guide to fashion, will be looking at two of the more intriguing fashion trends this fall. And he'll have the help of designer Allison Smith of Allison Wonderland for some how-to pointers. We're talking about asymmetrical dresses and You Can't Touch This Hammer pants, when JJ joins me for another Fashion Monday. Today on CBC Radio One's On The Coast, 88.1 FM 690 AM, at 5:45 PM!

The interface of riding bikes and looking good (heels evens).

Harry Rosen on a rare visit to the Vancouver store at the Pacific Centre.

If you were the BC finance minister which John Fluevog would you wear ? It is a rite of Canadian politics. Finance ministers carefully choose their shoes, usually brand new, as a signal of the government making a fresh start. Recent BC budget speeches and the ministers who must present them have received a lot of shoe attention. Carole Taylor, as the finance minister for Budget 2007, was lambasted by the NDP's Jenny Kwan for wearing a pair of $600 Guccis. The criticism of Taylor was quite unfair. She's quite the clotheshorse. She was also my former uber-boss as the president of the CBC back in the day. I loved talking fashion with her in the halls of the CBC (I know, I know, we could have discussed the future of public broadcasting instead) and let me say this: denying Carole Taylor a pair of Gucci's is like denying the Mona Lisa gold-leaf on her picture frame. It's kind of cruel. Even so, Taylor showed a degree of acumen by wearing resoled red patent Jimmy Choo's i...

Looks like the 80s thing works for teens born in the 90s. I found this group walking across the park in New Westminster and I had to take their picture. Styling. To find out more about how this picture was made, visit my flickr post . ------------------ August 14, 2009: the picture is a minor hit, at least for me, with 412 views | 7 comments | 7 favorites It's all about the Converses! When you shoot with a test roll for a new (old) camera, you're caught between a hard choice. Load cheap, grainy film, like Kodak Gold 200 and end up with pictures you really love on bad film. Or, blow an entire roll of expensive film on a camera with light leaks, faulty shutters and other faults. On this day, I was testing a pawn-shop Konica Autoreflex T3 with its Hexar 28mm. The mirror had a v-shape crack. A metal plate flange which helped seal light between the pentaprism and the mirror in the up position was bent and prevented the mirror from swinging all the way. I imagine someone attemp...

Wish you had longer eyelashes? Vancouver's first eyelash extension lounge opened a few months ago and I found out how they give you those big butterflys one lash at a time. All about eyelash extensions with owner Joyce Cajucom of Noir Lash Lounge and the all important question: do dudes do it?

The challenge is simple: Find seven stunning, summer must-haves for men. No problem. Right? Not really. There's a hitch. The total ensemble has to cost less than $250. Holy economic downturn, Fashion Man, I need help and inspiration. This leads me to rendezvous with local designer Genevieve Graham, who recently finished fourth on this season's Project Runway Canada. Graham's advice is to keep it simple. "I love the look of a man in summer with a nice, really good pair of jeans and a white T-shirt," she says. "And a nice pair of flip-flops. I love jeans and flip-flops on men." Then she flashes a bit of leg and dangles a Havaianas thong (ahem, it's a sandal) from her right foot. "They're the best flip-flops out there," says Graham. "And they never give you blisters, which is nice." In the past, men's Havaianas have been hard to find, but this season Club Monaco is selling them for an affordable $18. While you're there, p...

Well, that would be June 30th. With images of the lovely Philip Gurney.

JOE MIMRAN OF JOE FRESH STYLE ON HIS SECRET TO SUMMER STYLE: "I think it's really easy in the summer. You're dealing with natural fibres..." "You can get away with a lot less clothes...so with so few pieces, how do you make something out of it? It's about colour and cut. If it's not right, there's no style." "It's all about slim lines to look modern today." ON SUMMER SCARVES FOR MEN "If you're of a certain age, you can do it. You'll look like you're in a band if you wear too many scarves and too many little hats." ON SUMMER SUITS (KHAKI, LINEN AND SEERSUCKERS) "Dress it with a polo shirt and flip flops or some anchor. Brown Church's oxfords or two-tone spectators." "Seersucker is one of the most versatile summer suits. You can break it up. With the jacket you can break it up with white pants..." Say it's so, Joe: Mimran suggests a man can muscle-up a summer wardrobe with a pai...

I visited Bruce Eyewear to get some simple tips on buying sunglasses and to look at the beautiful frames in the shop. Nada Vuksic, the owner, showed me a couple gorgeous frames and let me know what's in for this season. Plus Stephen Quinn of CBC's On the Coast and I talk about what you need to know before you buy cheaper, plastic shades.

Genevieve Graham's intricate technique will be on display at the new studio and retail space, Gentil Alouette. I wanted to catch up with Genevieve Graham . She was a fashion luminary in this town but she fell off the fashion map a few years ago. She was a prominent womens wear designer for the Vancouver-based luxury label Obakki . It is an ambitious brand with global ambitions. Genevieve resigned from Obakki when the creative direction changed. And in many ways, Genevieve disappeared from the scene for a couple of years. But here's the news - this past season she was featured in on Project Runway Canada. Her public comeback was a controversial. At times she was painted as a villain on the show. Her expertise in the art of draping came under fire when the judges pushed her to use more tailoring in her designs. Genevieve stuck to her guns. She made it to the final four but was bounced off the show this spring. And now that it's over, I wanted to catch up with her. I met her ...

TAILOR MADE is a film by Leonard Lee and Marsha Newberry. It's about Bill and Jack Wong. They've been running Modernize Tailors for almost 60 years. Modernize Tailors has been a cornerstone of Vancouver's Chinatown and fashion scene but it looks like it is all coming to an end. The film follows what may be the final (NOT) year of the shop. Bill and Jack take on their last apprentice (me), make their last suits for Vancouver's elite, and open a museum in their honor before they finally put away the scissors and retire. On Knowledge Network : Tuesday, May 26 at 10:00 PM  Wednesday,May 27 at 1:59 AM and 7:00 PM And check out the preview:

CBC's obituary is here . For a critical appraisal of his work with Nicholas Olsberg, the curator of the Arthur Erickson solo show at the Vancouver Art Gallery, listen below.